In the field of cabinetry and mill work, a recurring problem is the uncontrolled speed at which a cabinet door closes. Uncontrolled closure can result in slamming of cabinetry doors creating unwanted noise and premature wear of cabinet hinges and cabinet faces. A damping device, such as a soft close hinge, manipulates the closing motion of the cabinet door at a controlled rate so that the cabinet door, regardless of how much force is used to begin the closing motion, will softly and quietly close without slamming into the cabinet frame. A cabinet door that closes softly and quietly extends the life of both the millwork and the hinge hardware thus reducing the need for repair or replacement.
Prior art soft close hinges can be large and cumbersome. Functionality is provided by a spring damper mechanism attached between the hinge arm and the hinge body. The spring damper mechanism adds size to the hinge and thus the hinge tends to be bulky and complicated.
The prior art is replete with soft close hinge designs. However, most suffer from various disadvantages including size, complexity, durability, difficulty of installation, and high manufacturing cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,453 to Wang discloses a hinge assembly capable of damping door movement. The assembly includes a damping unit mounted on a seat that is connected to a door frame. A housing is embedded in a door panel. A hinge arm and a positioning member pivotally connect the securing seat and the housing. The damping unit includes a fluid filled cylinder and a piston rod having an actuating end pivotally connected to the positioning member.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,298 to Lin, et al. discloses a dampening hinge. The hinge includes a base adjustably connected to a coupling assembly. The base is pivotally connected to a hinge cup and biased by a spring. A buffer assembly includes a cylindrical damper and a set of links which are connected to the damper at one end and pivotally connected to the hinge cup at the other. The links include an arcuate slot designed to reduce the pivotal angle of the damper and to reduce the overall volume of the hinge. The damping functionality is not adjustable.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0083299 to Krudener discloses a furniture hinge. The hinge is comprised of a housing pivotally connected to a hinge cup with a series of links and a connecting rod. A spring biases the pivotal connection. Spring arms rest on the connecting rod. The cylindrical body of a fluid filled damper is pivotally connected to the series of links. The piston rod extending from the damper is supported in a receptacle which is connected to an adjustment screw acting on the housing. In this manner, the angle of the damper relative to the housing can be adjusted. The housing is oversized to accommodate the adjustment of the damper.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0154609 to Liao discloses a dampening hinge. The hinge is comprised of a hinge cup pivotally connected to a housing by a hinge arm and biased by a torsion spring. An inner housing is adjustably connected to the housing and pivotally connected to a cylindrical body of a fluid filled damper. A series of links pivotally connects the hinge cup to the inner housing and the piston rod. The position of the damper relative to the housing is not adjustable.
Therefore, a need exists for an easily installed, low-profile, simple and affordable soft close hinge providing an adjustable damping functionality while still delivering precision and soft close motion to the cabinet door.